Snow Park NZ Announces New Terrain Park Partnership

Lake Wanaka, New Zealand (April 29, 2011) - Snow Park NZ has announced an exclusive partnership with world renowned halfpipe and terrain park builder John Melville of Development Snowparks. Melville will be responsible for managing, building and maintaining the Snow Park NZ terrain park, the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere.

Melville’s New Zealand based company is best known for the development of it’s groundbreaking halfpipe technology, the Global Cutter. The company’s laser guidance system was used to prepare and shape the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics halfpipe.

“It’s great to be taking on a new challenge on home soil, and i’m looking forward to a long term future at Snow Park NZ. I’ve contracted all around the world, so it’s really rewarding to be bringing it back to a local NZ ski area and to now have Snow Park NZ as the flagship resort for Development Snowparks products and services,” said Melville.

Snow Park NZ’s grooming department sees the return of Jamie Kennerley (Lake Wanaka) and Joe Mackenzie (Nelson), while new to the team this year is Scott Shields (Dunedin). Development Snowparks will bring Lucas Ouellette (Whistler BC), who will be focussed on the early season building period of the terrain park.

Collaboratively, the Kiwi dominated powerhouse crew boasts over 50 seasons experience, with both Melville and Ouellette having been contracted for the building and maintenance of the 2010 Winter Olympics Halfpipe.

“Our terrain park has evolved dramatically since opening in 2002,” said Sam Lee, Snow Park NZ Operations Manager. “The unique integration of Snow Park’s relaxed, fun atmosphere, world class innovation in terrain park features, delivered by a committed, passionate and very skilled team, will ensure the best park experience in the world.”

Snow Park NZ will this year also be the first Southern Hemisphere resort to have ‘Doors Snowpark Structures’ rails and boxes installed. Already used by Bardonecchia and Laax ski resorts in Europe, Doors Snowpark Structures’ rails and boxes are engineered using the latest manufacturing procedures to create the most consistent slides possible for the rider.

The recent investments of snow groomers, reshaped earthworks as well as Development Snowpark’s laser guided cutter, combined with possibly the best grooming crew ever assembled on the planet, puts Snow Park NZ on course to producing the best terrain park experience, every day, all season. Period.